by Kent Sterling The Cubs 7-5 loss yesterday happened exactly as it should have; exactly as it had to on the day Wrigley Field turned 100. According to the win probability chart at baseball-reference.com, the Cubs had a 97% probability of winning when the top of the ninth inning started with the Cubs holding onto […]
by Kent Sterling The battle between the Cubs and the owners of the rooftop saloons that overlook Wrigley Field from across Waveland and Sheffield Avenues is a little like a grade school fight between bullies. Both guys losing is the only acceptable outcome. Cubs owner Smilin’ Tommy Ricketts would like to erect giant video boards […]
by Kent Sterling The hire of Rick Renteria by the Chicago Cubs was the result of a managerial search that resembled an archeological dig. Who would fans accept as a plausible successor to Dale Sveum, Lou Piniella, Dusty Baker, Jim Riggleman, Tom Treblehorn, Jim Essian, Don Zimmer, Herman Franks, Charlie Fox, Preston Gomez, Whitelockman, Elvin […]
by Kent Sterling Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein would like Cubs fans to believe that rebuilding is the road to winning, and that it takes five years. That the length of his contract is five years is purely coincidental. The St. Louis Cardinals just keep piling up trips to the postseason at a […]
by Kent Sterling Meetings happen all the time at businesses to uncover the solutions to problems. Rooms are filled with people of all stations at a company. The problem owner (the boss who convened the meeting for the purpose of finding a creative solution to his most troublesome worry) identifies the issue to be discussed, […]
by Kent Sterling Including the game tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs have 13 games remaining in this very unpleasant season. If they lose 10-of-13, the Cubs will have amassed more losses than in any three-year period in their woeful history. Click here to follow Kent on Twitter Digging deeper into the bedrock […]
by Kent Sterling There is some bad mojo going on at Wrigley Field. Fans and media claim that team president Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are pressing all the right buttons in trading veterans for farm system bulk, and that the youngsters left behind are being tutored to play better at the major league level. […]
by Kent Sterling I’m not sure whether Chicago Cubs General Manager is an idiot, full of crap, or made an inept effort to cover for his team yesterday on Buster Olney’s podcast. Below are quotes followed by unpleasant realities: “Usually you draft starters in the draft, and a lot of the best relievers are failed […]
by Kent Sterling If the home of the Chicago Cubs is in doubt, the player who will man first base for the next decade or so is not. Anthony Rizzo has signed a seven-year, $41-million extension with an additional two-year club option that could drive the value to $60-million. This deal is a slightly less […]
by Kent Sterling Andre Dawson had one of the quickest bats in major league history, a cannon for a right arm, and now is using another asset to help owner Tom Ricketts find his checkbook – the truth. Dawson spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times Gordon Whittenmyer and said some insightful and obvious things: “I never thought […]